Many people getting upset at this! And Ronan doesn’t help himself by insinuating climate protesters are all middle class (though that is undeniably base of green direct action).
But realistically there should be a culture of debate regarding tactics on the left >
But realistically there should be a culture of debate regarding tactics on the left >
https://twitter.com/ronanburtenshaw/status/1454519554244288517
My principal criticism is that most people on left either have been critical of insulate britain or open to idea that it’s not wholly positive. The idea that all and any kind of direct action is good and effective because the suffragettes did it is obviously illogical (& wrong) >
And Ronan is right about danger of turning issue where there’s 70% support for action into something like 50-50 culture war.
Sometimes effective politics is about polarisation (tax the rich, Brexit) where winning a maj of public opinion is fine. Climate change isn’t that >
Sometimes effective politics is about polarisation (tax the rich, Brexit) where winning a maj of public opinion is fine. Climate change isn’t that >
Why would we want to polarise opinion when majority already agree w/ you?
What that tells me is sometimes you need different tools. Can’t always pursue same strategy. It’s a recency bias to think ‘XR was effective doing something similar, so can this’. Not necessarily, no >
What that tells me is sometimes you need different tools. Can’t always pursue same strategy. It’s a recency bias to think ‘XR was effective doing something similar, so can this’. Not necessarily, no >
It’s also case that for 30 years radical green movements in global north have seen direct action as default. And it often works. But if you think target, enemy, grievance and tactics don’t matter in success or failure - you’re wrong.
Left must be able to discuss such things.
Left must be able to discuss such things.
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